Evangelicals Engage in Prayer for Dreamers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today evangelical leaders are calling upon Christians to pray for Dreamers and urging Congress to resume negotiations to reach a permanent solution.

March 5 is the date that the administration set in September for the final termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Throughout the country, Christians are praying this week for Dreamers, their families, members of Congress, and the president. Along with Voices of Christian Dreamers, the Evangelical Immigration Table has prepared a Prayer Guide to help encourage people to pray.

While court decisions have allowed many DACA beneficiaries to file for renewal of their work authorization and protection from deportation, thousands still could lose their protections because renewal applications take several weeks or even months to process.

The result: Law-abiding employers would be required to lay off employees, and Dreamers and their families would face a sudden disruption of income and the risk of deportation.

The following are quotes from Evangelical Immigration Table leaders:

Leith Anderson, President, National Association of Evangelicals:
“The gift of delay has been given to 700,000-plus who are caught in the politics of the DACA dilemma. But a few months of reprieve are not enough. Congress and the White House need to give the gift of permanent status to dreamers.”

Scott Arbeiter, President, World Relief:
“The Bible instructs us to ‘pray without ceasing,’ and specifically to pray for those in positions of governmental leadership. Our elected officials in Washington, D.C., need divine wisdom and courage to accomplish what has thus far eluded them, reaching a bipartisan consensus that will allow DACA beneficiaries and other Dreamers to earn permanent legal status and citizenship in the country they consider their home.”

Shirley V. Hoogstra, President, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities:
“Many students on Christian college and university campuses throughout the United States are Dreamers, immigrants brought to this country as children. They are campus leaders and classmates, teammates and mentors. If Congress fails to pass a permanent, legislative solution that addresses the rescission of the DACA program, not only these students, but their families, friends, educational institutions, employers, and religious communities will suffer for it. We continue to pray that Congress will act wisely, justly, and swiftly.”

Hyepin Im, President and CEO, Faith and Community Empowerment:
“As Dreamers throughout the country confront an uncertain future, Christians are uniting in prayer with and for them, asking God to intervene at what seems to be a political stalemate. While court decisions in recent days mean short-term relief for some, the long-term consequences of congressional inaction are stark. My prayer is that they will come together quickly, on a bipartisan basis, to find a solution that protects Dreamers and keeps families together.”

Jo Anne Lyon, Ambassador, The Wesleyan Church:
“We’re not just praying today for Dreamers—we have been praying for months and will continue to pray. Our faith is in a God who is larger than any political impasse. We’re asking Him to intervene on behalf of these young people who have been such a blessing to our churches, our communities, and the nation.”

Dr. Russell Moore, President, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention:
“There is absolutely zero excuse for failing to provide a solution for Dreamers. Every week that Congress does not act, men and women created in the image of God will lose legal protections and work authorization. Families will face the risk of being torn apart. Let’s pray for and petition our elected leaders to find a way forward from this totally avoidable crisis and for our churches as they care for our neighbors in this new stage of uncertainty.”

Samuel Rodriguez, President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference:
“The wellbeing of Dreamers must not be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency. Our elected officials urgently need to resolve the status of DACA recipients and other Dreamers—and Hispanic evangelicals will be praying fervently for them until they do, while also praying for Dreamers, their families, and others directly affected by congressional inaction.”